Otis Kenyon, a family owned winery located in the great Walla Walla Wine Country of Washington State (can you say that three times fast), has sent us a wonderful recipe for a spicy and flavorful Cuban Stew courtesy of Chef Jamie Guerin of the Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant in Walla Walla.  Otis Kenyon’s 2005 Syrah with its complex aromas and earthy finish make it a perfect compliment to the flavors in this stew.

Cuban Stew

From Chef Jamie Guerin, Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant

• 1.5 lb tender stew meat, trimmed and cubed
• 1 lb chorizo (beef if possible), cooked and sliced
• 1 cup cubed, steamed "al dente" butternut squash
• 1 large plantain
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 T ground cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• zest of lime
• 1/2 T minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chicken stock
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cut plantain into cubes and sauté in a pan with olive oil until golden brown, set aside.  Brown meat in a stew pot with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Remove to a plate.  Add pepper and onion to the pot and sauté, scraping up any brown bits of meat stuck to the pan.  Add the garlic, cumin, and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stock, and the meat back to the pot.  Simmer until meat is tender and add the squash, plantains, lime zest, lime juice and chorizo.  Heat to serving temperature.  Makes stew for four.  Enjoy!

About Otis Kenyon’s 2005 Syrah

This sophisticated Syrah offers an attractive deep ruby color and alluring aromatics of pepper, intermingled earth and fruit, and a hint of licorice.  Subtle earth and mineral flavors are complemented with a touch of vanilla, and are backed by supple tannins and a lively acidity that gives this wine wonderful length and balance.

About Otis Kenyon

Otis Kenyon Wine is a family owned and managed winery with deep historical ties to the Walla Walla Valley. They handcraft limited quantities of elegantly structured and affordable Bordeaux and Rhone varietal wines from our estate and other proven Walla Walla Valley vineyards.